May
by dedkake
Summary: A new slashfic for every day of May. narusasunaru, kakairu, zabuhaku, shikachou, sainaru, shinokiba, kakasasu, and naruiru. 6.30 All chapters edited and reposted.
1. Emergency narusasu

It's time for Naruto again!! I've done this thing before (write a short story every day). As it was before, these will all be slash. Enjoy!

_I don't own any of the characters used in this story or any of its successors._

As before, every chapter of this is a new story/drabble and there are **no connections** between them whatsoever.

1. Emergency

"Sasuke, I'm having an emergency!" Naruto was nearly shouting from the bedroom. "I could use a little help!" He had been rummaging through his room the entire morning searching for something, but had refused Sasuke's help earlier on.

With a sigh, Sasuke set his book down and went to the bedroom door. "I'm not sure I can help you—you still haven't told me what you're looking for."

Naruto's head snapped up, fire in his eyes. "It's all your fault!" he said before returning to the mess that had once been the carpet. "My first day as Hokage and I can't find the necklace that Tsunade gave me!"

"Excuse me, but I fail to see how that is my fault," Sasuke said, his eyebrow twitching with annoyance. However much Naruto had matured over the years, he was still Naruto. He turned to go back to the kitchen. "Besides, I thought you never took it off."

An old shoe hit Sasuke in the back of the head. "I _don't_. It was you who decided that it was in the way last night." Naruto's voice was muffled as he stuck his head under the bed.

A blush rose on Sasuke's face. They had had an impromptu celebration the previous evening and neither of them had been quite sober. It had started on the couch but that was not very practical, so they had nearly dragged each other to the bed. He vaguely remembered becoming irritated every time that stupid necklace hit him in the face and Naruto's feeble protest when he had tugged it off. What had happened after that? They had moved to the shower … but where was the necklace? Oh.

Sasuke glanced back into the room, a smirk on his face. "Naruto," he paused, waiting for the Hokage to look up, "why don't you look at your wrist?"

1

Well. That was fun. And written very very quickly.


	2. Digits zabuhaku

2. Digits

Haku had barely been asleep when he heard Zabuza slip into the room. He could tell that his mentor was trying not to wake him and almost decided to let him get away with it. That was before he heard the quiet hiss of pain. Sitting up, he continued to watch Zabuza silently.

"Go back to sleep," Zabuza grunted. He sat on the other bed, his back to Haku, and hunched suspiciously over his right arm.

With a short sigh, Haku pushed himself out of bed and padded across the room to Zabuza's side. "What happened?" he asked. There was a gash on Zabuza's upper arm, but it was shallow and he could tell that was not what was paining the man.

Zabuza clenched and unclenched his arm, only sending a quick glance at Haku. "It's nothing; go to sleep."

Haku smiled and grasped Zabuza's arm lightly in his hand, pulling it into his lap for an examination; Zabuza did not protest. It was apparent that the worst wounds were around his fingers and knuckles and that was only confirmed when Zabuza nearly ripped his arm away from him after he applied pressure. "What happened?" he asked again.

"Nothing," Zabuza repeated.

Knowing there was no point in continuing the conversation, Haku focused all of his attention back on Zabuza's hand. He could not figure out what could have caused such severe wounds on those long fingers, but he knew that he would have to heal them. Slowly massaging the digits, he pulled the hand toward his face, kissing each knuckle before looking back into Zabuza's dark gaze. "Will you let me help you?" he asked.

Zabuza nodded after a moment of hesitation. Haku stood up and smiled encouragingly, gently tugging on Zabuza's arm. "Let's go find the bandages."

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So, we're staying in a hotel... and I had to write this while talking to my family ... interesting experience. The internet works on my father's laptop, but not on mine which is upsetting. Also, I think I asked everyone I saw today about the word "digits" before I wrote this


	3. Grope sasunarusasu

3. Grope

The cell was freezing and they had taken his shirt (not that there had been much left of it). The moment Naruto felt the rough ground on his skin he was back on his feet, running to the door. It was no use, the men who had held him had not even taken a step into the cell before shoving him inside. "Let me out of here, bastards!" Naruto yelled, fists pounding at the metal door. "What did you do with Sai?! Tell me, god dammit!"

He slid down the door to the floor, cursing under his breath. They were not going to do anything he asked. In fact, they probably would not even bring him food for a day or two. The group of men who had captured him were probably the most wanted gang aside from the Akatsuki. Team Seven had been sent on a mission to observe their newest hideout. Unfortunately, Sai had set off a trap and when Naruto and Sakura had tried to rescue him, they had all been caught.

Naruto stared out into his cell, but found it to be pitch black. The moisture in the air had collected on the walls and floor, making the room humid and giving it a moldy scent. Naruto almost gagged at the prospect of being trapped there for any amount of time. It could take days for Kakashi to find out where they were and maybe even weeks for him to get in. "I'll get you, you dirty sons-of-bitches!" Naruto yelled one more time.

"Will you shut up?" a weak voice asked from somewhere to Naruto's right.

The noise had been unexpected and Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin. "Why should I shut up?" he asked after the initial shock wore off.

There was a quiet sigh that sounded more like a hiss from Naruto's hidden cell-mate. "You're making the air hotter than it already is, idiot."

Naruto froze, eyes wide. His heartbeat quickened and an almost unbearable hope welled up in his chest. He knew that voice (although it had matured). But how could it be? He was not supposed to be here; it was not supposed to be this easy! He swallowed as he turned to face the direction of the voice. "Sasuke?" he whispered. What if he was mistaken and it was not?

The silence from the other side of the room had Naruto's hopes sinking and his heart with it. Of course it was not Sasuke. Sasuke was safely hidden in Orochimaru's lair, not locked in some stinking cell. "Sorry," Naruto muttered, "I thought you were someone else."

Almost immediately the other man said, "No!"

Again, Naruto stared into the cell. His heart was in his throat and he was short of breath. "Sasuke? You're really there?" he asked.

Another pause, and then, "Yes."

Naruto reached out blindly across the cell, groping in the dark for solid proof. The other wall was not very far across the cell and he awkwardly crawled the distance. His hand came in 

contact with a warm arm. A foreign hand came up to grasp his, pulling him down and into a tight hug.

"Naruto," that soft, familiar voice whispered in his ear.

A smile broke across Naruto's face and he squeezed Sasuke as tightly as he could. "You bastard, you rotten bastard!"

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I'm soooo tired. Again: written in a hotel room surrounded by family. Firstly, I don't know if this is actually the word I had for today. Secondly, I had a long, internal debate over how to use this word. Lastly... I have no idea where this came from but I really might expand it.


	4. Anchor shikachou

4. Anchor

The storm had been rough, tossing the ship about like a toy boat, but somehow they had managed to make it through. Once they had been able to weigh anchor, the passengers had decided to come on deck to see what had happened. The ship had been heading north, carrying a ninja team from Hidden in the Leaf to the location of their next mission. One by one the team ascended.

Chouji sighed a breath of relief in the fresh air, slumping down on the ground almost immediately. Shikamaru was at the rail of the ship within seconds emptying his stomach overboard. Ino, on the other hand, bounced happily up toward the captain of the ship, grinning more flirtatiously than normal to make up for lost time.

The crew was wandering about, sullenly taking stock of what had been lost and what would need to be repaired before they could continue. Chouji eyed them warily, but decided they were no threat. He stood, still unsteady on his feet, and slowly made his way to Shikamaru's side. Patting him on the back, Chouji asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Shikamaru gave him a weak smile and a nod. After taking a few deep breaths, he slid to the deck, leaning his back against the side; Chouji helped him down. "Thanks," Shikamaru muttered, his fingers grasping at Chouji's open hand.

"I forgot how much you hate boats," Chouji said quietly, closing his hand around those cold fingers.

A weak chuckle bubbled up from Shikamaru's chest. "I don't mind boats. It's the sea I can't stand," he said quietly, leaning heavily against Chouji's warm side.

Chouji accepted the answer silently. The two sat in peace for a while, neither saying a word, until Chouji was almost certain the Shikamaru was asleep. A smile spread across his lips and he slipped his arm around the smaller man. It only took another few minutes for him to fall asleep as well.

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Sorry it's not too slashy… but it's late and I have homework and I can't stop watching peacemaker!! Also, I was completely brain-dead on how to use the word anchor… so I kinda got my inspiration from a scene in _Shogun_… yes.


	5. Illusion kakairu

5. Illusion

Kakashi's gaze traveled over the man in front of him. Exquisite skin shining in the moonlight was dotted and crisscrossed with scars that only enhanced the image. The horizontal scar across his face drew Kakashi's attention, but he let his eyes fall to warm, inviting lips. They moved slightly, as if to speak, but no sound followed the movement. This might be your only chance, Kakashi thought to himself with a mental shrug.

He leaned forward to press a light kiss to those malleable lips. There was a gasp from the other man before he pulled back. Confusion masked the hunger beneath those eyes and Kakashi felt a shiver down his spine when he looked into them. He took another step forward. "What do you want, Iruka?" he asked.

Those eyes flashed with something akin to anger before they leveled again. "You, Hatake Kakashi, I _need_ you." The words were like honey to his ears.

Kakashi pushed Iruka back down onto the bed, leaning over him and staring straight into his eyes. "And I've always wanted you, Iruka," he murmured. Shifting slightly, he attempted to divest himself of his clothing as quickly as possible, to join his lover in nakedness and beauty. Iruka was mumbling in his ear, biting it, touching his skin as it was revealed and Kakashi found it rather difficult to breathe.

A knock sounded at the door and it was so unexpected that Kakashi threw up his chakra barriers without even thinking. "Hold on a minute!" he shouted over his shoulder, taking more of his chakra to secure those first barriers. Grasping for more chakra, Kakashi fell forward onto the bed, Iruka gone from underneath him in a cloud of smoke.

It took Kakashi a moment to realize what had happened and he cursed himself silently for his stupidity. Forcing chakra into his barrier had drawn the energy out of his bunshin, destroying it and his fantasy with it.

The knocking at the door continued. Grumbling, Kakashi stumbled out of his room toward the door.

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k… the first thing that came to my head was creepy… so I stuck with creepy. (sorry for the crappy editing of the previous chapters.. I'll have to go through and re-upload them when I get the chance) …. Kyaaa! I finished peacemaker!! Soooo good.


	6. Crayons sainaru

6. Crayons

Sleep was slipping from his mind more quickly than he could hold it in. Naruto was suddenly aware of someone sitting on his bed. A smile spread across his face as he snuggled deeper into his pillow. His boyfriend of three months had stayed the night after an extra-long date the previous night. Long, deft fingers brushed against his hip through a thin sheet and warm lips lightly caressed his cheek. "Naruto," his voice was soft and low, "you can't sleep all day."

Letting out a quiet yawn, Naruto turned his face away from those soft lips. "But it's Saturday," he whined purposefully, "and you kept me up all night."

"I know," Naruto could hear the smile in his voice. "Are you saying that I'm too much of a man for you?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he flung the pillow around to hit his partner in the face. "Bastard! First of all, it was _you _who insisted on going to sleep when we did and second of all you're a… a… mnrgh!" He fell backward onto the bed, an arm slung across his eyes.

A body pressed against him in a silent apology. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I really would have let you sleep. You're a very good model when you're asleep, well, much better than you are when you're awake (you don't move nearly as much). And your face is perfect—at least when you're not drooling—it's gorgeous!"

"Sai," Naruto mumbled, peeking out from under his arm, a blush spreading across his face. Sai turned his attention back to his drawing.

"I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed your crayons; I couldn't find anything else to draw with," Sai said brightly, rummaging through a small box with his left hand. Naruto glanced at him warily. "You should at least have a pen or two around—quite helpful, you know?"

Pouting, Naruto mumbled disagreeably, "Well, if you don't like my crayons, don't use them."

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Oh my goodness, I'm so stressed out. First AP test of the year tomorrow… and I haven't studied. And I'm tired. And I haven't taken my math placement test for college yet… something that needs to happen before Friday. I'm soooooooo tired. So… I cheated and added to and altered something that I wrote a few weeks ago.


	7. Fatigued sasunaru

7. Fatigued

Sasuke lay in his bed staring at the wall blankly. A sick, nauseated feeling twisted his stomach and he rolled onto his side. One week. He had only been training under Orochimaru for one week and already he did not know if he could take more. He felt more humiliated and weak than he ever had before and everyday was just a reminder. His recovery from fighting with Naruto had taken an unexpected long time and Orochimaru had been anxious to make up for lost time.

From the moment Sasuke had stumbled out of his room for the first time, still expecting to find Sakura and Naruto waiting for him, there had been a rigorous schedule controlled by Orochimaru and monitored by Kabuto; neither was particularly lenient. Sasuke was supposed to wake up early, spend an hour doing physical strength and endurance practices before eating dinner, and do specialized training with Orochimaru throughout the remainder of the day.

By day two Sasuke had been catching small glimpses of orange and blue wherever he looked. It always caught him off-guard, and it did not make sense. He had left Naruto behind and that was final. Why did that stupid idiot have to follow him everywhere?

He had not been able to bring up these… visions with either Kabuto or Orochimaru, but the two had noticed his distraction and inquired. Sasuke had responded quickly, trying to make it seem as unimportant as possible. Orochimaru had been sorely disappointed and a new feature had been added to his schedule: every time he was in any way distracted from training, he would stand still while Orochimaru (or one of his cronies) beat him.

The humiliation and pain was severe, but the visions only became more intense and more frequent. At any given time, Sasuke could look up to see Naruto grinning at him.

This morning Sasuke found a quietly amused Naruto staring at him from across the room. His entire body shook with fear of the pain he now associated with the image; his heart strained in his chest and tears of frustration pricked at the corners of his eyes. He buried his face into his pillow and sobbed himself into sleep.

It was only another minute or so before Kabuto came into the room and gently roused him. Another day was beginning, and he could not stop it.

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Fatigued.. that's me, right now. I kind of feel sick and all I want to do is sleep. Still stressing over APs… only four more….


	8. Purple kakasasu

8. Purple

Kakashi watched as Sasuke marched angrily across their shared apartment. It had been his job to watch over the young man for the first year or so after his return to Konoha. They had been getting along well enough, but that was mostly because Sasuke avoided Kakashi as much as possible and Kakashi let him… mostly.

An amused eye caught every movement of Sasuke's body as he walked. "Sasuke," Kakashi called out, confused about the way Sasuke had carried his left arm.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked disagreeably. He exited his room wearing different (cleaner) clothes than before.

Kakashi continued to analyze his charge's stance and the tenseness of his shoulders. "What were you doing today? You know you're not supposed to fight…" he said, standing up to face Sasuke.

With an angry glance, Sasuke muttered, "What makes you think I was fighting?"

"Don't give me that," Kakashi said, suddenly serious, "I can tell when someone's in pain. You probably have a bruise on your shoulder or upper arm. You're covering it up with that long-sleeved shirt; it's hot outside, you wouldn't be wearing it otherwise."

Sasuke glared at him then turned his face away. "I wasn't fighting," he muttered again.

Reaching out with his left hand, Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's shoulder gently. He pulled down his mask with his right hand and leaned forward, placing a small kiss on Sasuke's cheek. Instantly Sasuke's entire face was red, a blush that stretched down his neck. Smiling, Kakashi moved to Sasuke's lips, kissing him slowly. Giving up almost instantly, Sasuke allowed the interaction, responding in kind.

After a few seconds, Kakashi pressed his fingers harder into Sasuke's shoulder, causing Sasuke to pull away. He glared again, panting slightly. "What was that for?"

Kakashi smiled. "See? You have a bruise! I bet it's all purple and gross," he said, pulling his mask back up.

Sasuke growled and stormed back into his room.

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Ack! I forgot about writing!! And wrote in like… three minutes. Tooooooo much studying to do…. Ok ok ok… three tests left. I can do this.


	9. Oblong zabuhaku

9. Oblong

There was blood on his hands, blood dripping down his face, seeping into his clothes. It was all over the table, an oblong sort of structure, on top of which lay what seemed to be a pile of blood. Blood. He could not see anything but the blood. It was deep and warm and red. Never before had it been so painful, so sickening, to see so much blood. It was different this time, the blood, because it belonged to someone important. This blood was the life of someone he could not lose.

Zabuza stared down at the table, fumbling with the bloody shreds of Haku's clothes. The boy was not awake; he had not been since he had been hit. This death-like state and the never ending flow of blood had been so intense that Zabuza had called upon a doctor. The man was shady and Zabuza was not quite sure of his qualifications, but something needed to be done.

Grasping at Haku's hand, Zabuza knelt next to the table, leaning on it for support. "Please…" he whispered quietly.

"You're in my light," the doctor muttered irritably. Zabuza chose to ignore the man for the most part, but move enough away so that the light from behind him spilled across the table.

It was hours before he noticed anything, hours before he felt that weak, answering pressure on his hand from the fingers that he held.

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I'm exhausted and don't think I can write any more ever in my life…. Sorry for the shortness.


	10. Heartbreak narusasu

10. Heartbreak

"I didn't come back for you." The words rang in Naruto's head. They had slipped out of Sasuke's mouth as soon as Naruto had leaned too close and now Naruto could think of nothing else.

Naruto had immediately teleported away from the scene, incapable of facing Sasuke any longer; he had not even been able to respond. Upon his arrival, he had collapsed on the floor of his apartment. The wooden floor was cold and hard, uncomfortable, but Naruto could not bring himself to move.

"I didn't come back for you," Sasuke had said, his eyes narrowed. His hand was resting on the arm of the woman next to him and she was practically pressed against his side. The image was burned into Naruto's memory.

Naruto ran to his bedside table and yanked open the drawer, emptying the contents gracelessly over the floor. His fingers grasped at Sasuke's old forehead protector, shaking slightly as he wept. That woman had not waited for Sasuke. She had not spent endless hours planning his return. What right did she have, holding Sasuke like that? It was Naruto who had chased Sasuke across the world. It was Naruto who had bled, who had broken both his arms in his final meeting with Sasuke. What right did _Sasuke_ have to hold that woman? To reject _him_?

Six years. He had spent six years of his life devoted to Sasuke. Every bite of food he took was more strength in his search and every step he took was another step closer on his journey. There had never been any doubt in his mind that he would find Sasuke, that he would bring Sasuke back to Konoha with him, and that everything would continue as it had before. Now that idea seemed stupid.

"I'm so stupid," Naruto yelled, throwing the forehead protector toward the trash can, smiling with bitter satisfaction when he heard the bin fall over. He sank down onto his bed.

Tears began to roll down Naruto's cheeks. How could everything go back to how it had been? Sasuke was different now, much different. Sakura was nowhere near the girl she had once been. _Naruto_ had grown as well. There was not even a chance that things could work out the way he had planned, and there never had been.

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So sorry this wasn't done on the tenth!! It was a _long_ day. Too long. ((I'm only a little late…)) I had absolutely no idea who to write about for this… so I went with my favorites. Yay.


	11. Lunge naruiru

11. Lunge

Iruka had barely made it through the door before Naruto lunged across the room into his arms. With the rather unexpected new weight, Iruka tumbled back out onto the ground in front of his door. Naruto did not seem to mind this new position and continued to squeeze the surprised man. "N-Naruto! What are you doing?" Iruka managed to splutter, sitting up as best he could.

Blue eyes shot up to meet Iruka's, their intensity bright and shining. A grin was plastered on Naruto's face. "Just showing you how much I love you," he said, tugging Iruka's shirt until the man followed him back inside.

Naruto leaned into Iruka's chest again, gently this time, circling his arms around a thin waist. He placed a light kiss on Iruka's lips, smiling again, before burying his face in his warm neck. Iruka hugged him back, blushing. "I love you, too," he murmured, tightening his hold.

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Happy mothers' day?? Fact of the day: I never thought I would write this pairing ever in my life.


	12. Nipple narusasu

12. Nipple

Naruto rolled over, attempting to get comfortable in his bed. Sasuke was laying next to him with his face buried in _both_ pillows, leaving Naruto completely pillowless. Normally, Naruto would have had no problem waking Sasuke up or even just stealing his pillow back, but tonight was different. Sasuke looked very calm and content, a cute little smile spread across his lips in his sleep. It was not often that anyone got to see such a face on the Uchiha, and Naruto had no intention of breaking the mood.

First, he tried to sleep on his back, just like he normally would. This, however, hurt the back of his head and his shoulders, so he switched to laying on his stomach. It was much too hard to breathe with nothing under him to raise him away from the mattress. Laying on his side was no good either, as his neck strained from the height of his shoulders. Naruto glared up at the ceiling.

He rolled onto his other side so that he faced Sasuke, but found the broad plane of Sasuke's chest instead of his face. Watching as the pale expanse rose and fell with Sasuke's deep, rhythmic breathing, Naruto grinned. He propped himself up on his elbows. Leaning forward slightly, he pressed a light kiss to Sasuke's unsuspecting nipple. An unconscious shiver rippled across Sasuke's entire body. Pleased with this response, Naruto continued to kiss the small nub, resting his forehead against Sasuke's chest to better support himself.

A small sound escaped Sauske's lips and he half awoke, bringing his arm up to wrap around Naruto and bring him closer. Naruto smiled and wrapped his own arms around Sasuke. This was a much better pillow than the one that had been stolen from him.

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AGAIN: sorry it wasn't posted on time. I was doing my homework. Also, I love sleeping without a pillow under my head. O.o


	13. Zest shinokiba

13. Zest

There was nothing Shino could do but go along with Kiba and Akamaru to the training fields. It was a beautiful summer day, and no matter how much he would have liked to stay inside and rest on his day off, he had no valid reason for not going out. Besides, Kiba's excitement was infectious.

Outside the air was warm and the breeze was soft. The streets were filled, as they were every day of summer, with smiling people. Shino felt a bit awkward in his large coat, but ignored the strange looks people shot in his direction in favor of watching Kiba's back. The buzz of conversation surrounded them, but they remained contentedly silent in the commotion.

The training fields were filled with training teams from all tiers of ninja, genin teams practicing survival skills, chunin teams practicing leading and following, jounin and anbu sparring amongst themselves. Kiba was immediately running through the field, Akamaru bounding beside him. Shino opted for watching and sat down in the shade of a mighty tree, following Kiba's every movement.

The sun caught dark brown hair and glinted off grinning white teeth. Akamaru knocked Kiba over and a melodious peel of laughter rose into the air, spreading across the whole field. Shino smiled and stood, walking slowly toward Kiba, who had not moved since he had fallen.

"Kiba," Shino called out as he approached. He stopped to stand so that his shadow was cast across Kiba's face. His small smile grew when his eyes met Kiba's sparkling gaze. "Why are we out here again?" he asked, although he really did not care what the answer was.

Hooking his arm gently around Shino's knee, Kiba forced his partner to his knees. He leaned up, pressing their foreheads together. "Does it matter?" he asked, watching as the smile on Shino's face grew even wider.

"No," Shino answered. He pushed Kiba back down before standing back up, quickly running off in the other direction as Akamaru chased him.

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So… I was originally supposed to write about the word 'zed' today… but talked my way into writing zest instead. I must say that this was much easier. ONE MORE AP TEST LEFT. ONE MORE DAY UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY. ONE MORE HALF WEEK UNTIL PROM. Such an exciting time!

Something everyone should know: I'm getting really bored with these and I have no idea why. So… they might be switching to AUs … or they might just continue to suck.


	14. Boxers sasunaru

14. Boxers

"Naruto, we're late and it's your fault!" Sasuke growled, punching Naruto in the side.

They had been sleeping peacefully, curled up under the warm covers, until Sasuke had nearly flung them both out of bed, screaming about the time. They had dashed around the room, grabbing up their clothes and yanking them on carelessly. Twice they had had to go back to Naruto's apartment to grab items left behind (forehead protectors and arm warmers were apparently easy items to forget).

Naruto nearly fell over from the force of the punch and the dizziness he was still feeling from getting up and out of bed in three minutes. "It is _not_ my fault," he grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at his partner.

Sasuke glared right back, his gaze piercing. "You told me you set your alarm clock!" he was almost yelling, but not quite; it was still very early in the morning.

"Oh come on! I thought it was set! When the clock malfunctions, the fault lies on no one." Naruto was not as good at keeping his voice quiet as Sasuke. A few lights turned on in the apartment they were walking past.

Tying his forehead protector on tighter, Sasuke hissed, "This is _definitely_ your fault."

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but a happy voice from behind them said, "I quite agree, Sasuke. In all matters revolving around clocks, the last person to touch the clock is at fault."

Sasuke grinned and nodded his head before his jaw dropped in confusion. He turned around to stare dumbly at the man behind them. Naruto turned as well, although he was not quite as surprised by their sudden guest. "Good morning, Kakashi. It seems that we're on your schedule today," he said, smiling ruefully.

"Were you up too late last night? Together?" Kakashi asked, pulling out a worn old book.

"What makes you think we were together?" Sasuke asked almost too quickly. Naruto was still smiling next to him.

Kakashi glanced up from his book, eying the pair thoughtfully. "Oh, nothing," he said after a moment, "but last time I checked, you weren't in the habit of wearing orange boxers, Sasuke."

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…This could be AU… or post time-skip. OMG MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW. Whoa. Just… whoa. Can't stop watching Wolf's Rain.. it'll kill me soon.


	15. Jamboree irukaka

15. Jamboree

The breeze was warm and full of the scent of spring. It blew through the trees and down the streets carrying the happy voices from the festivities with it. The voices hung in the air, floating, bubbling. People crowded the streets, their faces all smiles and cheer. Flushed speakers stood before them and they cheered.

Iruka stood in the window, watching with dull eyes as the crowd beneath him shifted its attention to a different speaker. The words blasted throughout the city passed over his ears like water and he barely heard. He would have normally been standing here smiling like the rest, but there was nothing normal about today.

Normally there would have been bright laughter next to him. Normally there would have been a quiet commentary mumbled in his ear as the speakers became more and more excited. Normally there would have been a warm hand in his. Normally he would have been happy.

He glanced down at the dog tags that he clenched in his hand. They were leaving a mark, but it did not really matter. Iruka looked back out over the crowd, feeling tears gather in the corners of his eyes.

Normally… Kakashi would have been there.

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This was almost not the word… technically it shouldn't be the word. My birthday…. Yay. Actually… I'm really upset.. which is the main reason that this was posted extremely late.


	16. Tonsils zabuhaku

16. Tonsils

Haku's hair was soft and warm under Zabuza's fingers. He ran his hand through the silky strands comfortingly as the boy slept. Heat radiated from the boy but he continued to shiver. Zabuza felt Haku's forehead again and a light curse fell from his lips. His fever was not breaking. It had been days since the boy had developed his sore throat and fever and no matter what Zabuza did, nothing seemed to help make him better.

There was a knock at the door before it opened a crack. "Zabuza? The boss has an assignment for you. He wants it completed immediately," came the deep voice from the door.

Zabuza growled at the man, barely resisting the urge to kill him. "Haku is sick; I'm not going anywhere until he's better. You tell your boss that if he wants me out working for him, he better provide a qualified doctor for me in the next few hours." His words were quiet and aggressive.

The man in the doorway left much quicker than he had entered to which Zabuza grinned dispassionately. He turned his whole attention back to Haku. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against Haku's quivering brow. "You'll be better soon," he whispered as his hands resumed their stroking.

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Wah! Late again! I'm a failure, sorry. Better reason today, tho… celebrating a friend's birthday. I'm half-asleep… hence the barely cohesive…ness…


	17. Melons narusasu

17. Melons

Naruto grinned and took the last bite of his melon before giving Sasuke's plate a pointed glance. The fresh fruit and yogurt that constituted their breakfast remained untouched on the Uchiha's plate, looking more delicious than ever. Naruto reached toward Sasuke's plate in hopes of getting more food, more wonderful breakfast.

His hopes were dashed when Sasuke smacked his hand away. "I'm going to eat that!" he said, finally directing his attention at the present.

"Well, it didn't look like you were going to eat it," Naruto mumbled, staring back at his empty plate.

Sasuke glared at him. "What gives _you_ the right to eat _my_ food?" he asked scathingly.

After taking a long moment to size his partner up, Naruto smirked. "You're so not cute when you haven't eaten," he said, stirring the leftover juices on his plate with his fork.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Sasuke blush and take a few hasty bites of fruit before returning to his glaring contest with the wall.

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Sorry it's so late… but not really. Prom. So, yeah.. not very long or complicated either. Soooo tired. And happy… and excited. Yay.


	18. Windpipe narusasu

18. Windpipe

Naruto could not breathe. Sasuke had him pinned to a tree by his throat, pressing his arm roughly against his windpipe. Gasping for air, Naruto grasped at Sasuke's arm. He glared and willed his partner to let go.

"Say it," Sasuke whispered, his voice low. Naruto could detect the glee hidden under that voice, that glee that said Sasuke thought he had won.

Taking one more rasping breath, Naruto thrust all of his weight to the side, successfully pulling himself away from Sasuke. Within seconds he was pushing the Uchiha back into the very same tree, but instead of holding him there with his arm, he held him still with a kunai. Smirking down at those dark eyes, he asked, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sasuke made to move away, but stopped when the knife bit into the skin of his throat. For a very long moment he glared at Naruto. Finally he responded, "You win, Naruto. You're on top tonight."

Pulling away, Naruto grinned and pumped his fist into the air. "Yes!" he yelled, "I won!"

Sasuke sank to the ground, rubbing his throat gently. "Don't let it go to your head," he muttered.

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Wah! I'm so fail at posting on time!! (Also, sorry that it's so lame.) Ok. There are pictures from my prom up in my scraps at devart (should be listed as my homepage here). It was sooooo fun!!


	19. XChromosome sainaru

19. X-Chromosome

Naruto smiled, running his fingers through Sai's hair gently. The curtains were closed, but they glowed softly with the morning sun. It was still early, but not extremely so, and the room was warm and comfortable. Taking a deep breath, Naruto buried his face back into his pillow, attempting to get more sleep. There was a problem: he could not get that grin off his face and he could feel it growing stupider by the moment.

No matter what he thought of, death, Kyuubi, Sasuke, the smile remained on his face. When he tried to restrain it, he would start giggling and it would be back in a matter of seconds. Eventually he gave up and just let the smile stay where it was.

Sai began to stir, shifting so the blankets slipped to expose his bare chest. Naruto continued to grin. Slowly, very slowly, Sai opened his eyes to look up into Naruto's face. He frowned for a moment, be for the infectious smirk caught on his mouth as well. "What are you so happy about?" he asked quietly.

At the soft sound of his partner's voice, Naruto's grin grew wider. "No specific reason. You. The sun. Life. I'm just happy," he said, his voice equally as quiet yet still filled with unexplainable excitement.

The smirk on Sai's face also grew, but there was that special glint in his eye. "Are you sure you're not hiding the fact that you have two X-chromosomes?"

Naruto's smile did not even falter as he shoved Sai off the bed. "Nope. I'm pretty sure I've just got one."

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Senioritis hurts. This is an example of that. Lol. Another cute sainaru in the morning fic. Happiness!


	20. Yawn kakairu

20. Yawn

Jiraiya did not even bother to stifle the yawn that escaped him as he walked down the hallway toward Iruka's office. It was early in the evening and he had been doing paperwork for Tsunade all day long… unfortunately most of it was supposed to be turned in the day before. Which was Jiraiya's reason for visiting Iruka after hours.

Upon reaching the chuunin's office, Jiraiya was surprised to find that the door was closed and the lights off. Funny thing was, he could definitely sense the man's presence on the other side of the door, not only that, but Iruka was not alone in his office. Jiraiya frowned and leaned his ear closer to the door.

It took a few minutes for him to decipher the conversation, but once he did, a grin spread across his face.

"…let me take you home," a slightly demanding voice was saying.

Iruka let out a long sigh. "I still have work to do-wait… Kakashi! Not here!"

After a few moments of shuffling and rustling papers, there was a pause that went on a little bit too long. "Kakashi…" Iruka was whispering, but Jiraiya could still hear the strained tone of his voice.

Smiling, Jiraiya slipped his papers under the office door and teleported away as fast as he could. Better to leave young love alone, he thought to himself.

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Did you know that being tired, watching yawns, reading about yawns, talking about yawns, writing about yawns, and thinking about yawns all make you yawn? Did you know that one time I had to read a whole in depth analysis of yawning whilst taking the SAT? It was painful. And now I'm yawning again. Sucky chapter, sorry. Hooomwork.


	21. Justify shikachou

21. Justify

Shikamaru clutched the forehead protector tightly in his hand as he knelt on the ground. His entire body was shaking with the effort not to cry. He panted lightly, trying to keep his breath even and smooth; no one else was supposed to know what his last decision had cost him. Standing, he turned to face his team with a steady gaze. "Come on," he said quietly, "we have to make it back to base before midnight."

There was a hand on his shoulder, gentle, maybe a little bit uncertain. "Why are you pushing yourself?" his teammate asked. The man was young, maybe even a boy still, and Shikamaru could not remember his name.

For a long moment Shikamaru stared into the man's brown eyes, desperately searching for the answer. "I… I left him there. He was still—" he cut himself off, his soft gaze turning hard. "I don't have to justify myself to you. Let's go. I don't want to be late." He pulled away from the hand on his shoulder and began to move in the direction of their base. His team followed.

After a half an hour of hard retreat, Shikamaru called the team to a rest again. Sitting on the ground, he stared at the piece of metal and cloth that he still held in his hand. He hit his head against the tree next to him, cursing quietly under his breath. "I'm so sorry, Chouji, _so_ sorry. But I—" he cut off and looked around at the rest of his team, "I had to save them."

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More sadness… might have to do with the fact that I'm too tired to really think. Blargh. I watched Harry Potter instead of writing on time. Oh well.


	22. Rouge narusasu

22. Rouge

Sasuke stared at his reflection in Sakura's mirror. His cheeks and lips were redder than normal, and the darkness on his eyes made them stand out and glisten. He looked altogether much more feminine than normal, but also completely natural; it was kind of frightening. Glancing down at his forehead protector (sitting on the dresser before him) he wished that he had never agreed to this mission.

There was noise from downstairs, rushed talking and loud footsteps moving toward the stairs. "Stop it! Don't go up there!" Sasuke heard Sakura protest.

The door to the room burst open revealing a grinning Naruto. Taking barely a second to aim, Sasuke threw a shuriken at the blond. Naruto yelped and dodged, still grinning. "Sasuke! Why didn't you tell me you took this mission? I would have signed up, too, but I thought Neji was going," he said, edging into the room carefully, still focusing half his attention on Sasuke's face, but the other half on the man's twitching fingers.

"Naruto… leave," Sasuke said, glaring. He could feel the blush rising on his cheeks, coloring them further. It was infuriating. Just the thought of Naruto seeing him like this had been upsetting, and now that it had come true, he did not know what he was going to do. There was no way that Naruto would ever let him live it down, and even if he did keep it quiet, he would probably use it as blackmail or worse, make him do it again.

Naruto was smiling and moving farther into the room; Sakura stood in the doorway, ready to jump in if either of them moved too quickly. "You look really… pretty," Naruto said, tilting his head to the side, "why haven't you done this before?"

Almost choking, Sasuke said, "Why would I ever have dressed up like a woman before now?"

"Well, you completely refused to wear those clothes I asked you to try on the other day…" Naruto began, but did not get to finish as a shuriken came flying at his face. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing those things!"

Sasuke stood up from the table, grabbing up the bag of makeup Sakura had lent him. He smoothed the folds in his dress and gracelessly stalked toward the door. "I have to go," he said, moving as quickly as he could while still keeping up his girly appearance.

Sakura rolled her eyes as Naruto ran past her to catch Sasuke. "Wait up! A girl shouldn't walk alone this late at night!" he was calling out. There was a loud thud as, Sakura presumed, Sasuke shoved Naruto to the floor. She rolled her eyes and went to clean up her room.

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Well… watching Harry Potter seems like a better idea than writing (I really did not want to write for this word). So this isn't the best I've ever written. "I'm not ready for this, Sirius." Harry Potter quotes out of context are the best.


	23. Stitches kakairu

23. Stitches

"He's going to be alright."

Iruka stared at Tsunade's face in disbelief, watching as her lips moved but not really hearing. But that did not matter anymore because he was alright. Three hours he had waited and now it everything was going to be fine. It took Iruka a moment to realize that Tsunade had stopped talking and was staring at him expectantly.

"Uhm… Can I go see him now?" he asked quietly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

A soft smile spread across Tsunade's face. "Of course. Just mind his stitches." She stepped out of the doorway to give Iruka access and closed the door after he entered.

The room was almost silent and the stillness of it made a shiver go down Iruka's spine. He slowly made his way toward the bed by the window, collapsing to his knees next to it. His eyes locked onto the peaceful face before him, taking in the bandages and the bruises and misting with relief as he saw breathing.

"Kakashi," he murmured, running his fingers through thick, silver hair. Eyes flickered beneath closed eyelids the moment he spoke and Iruka's heartbeat quickened. "Tsunade says you're going to be alright. You might even be out of here in the next few days." Iruka kept talking, the topics varying and random, to keep himself distracted and to keep (he hoped) Kakashi's attention.

After a while, Kakashi's hand twitched on the bed sheet and lifted to Iruka's face, resting gently on his cheek before falling back to the bed. Iruka's heart stopped for a moment, but then Kakashi's eyes opened and their warm gazes met for the first time in months.

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Lol. I fell asleep whilst writing this. Sorry again for the lateness (I am so fail) INDIANA JONES.


	24. Quartet sasunaru

24. Quartet

Sasuke's eyes scanned the paper in front of him too quickly to really pick anything up before handing it back to Naruto. "Seems nice," he said, attempting to keep excitement in his voice.

Naruto was not listening closely enough to detect the dejection in Sasuke's voice. He smiled and glanced at the paper in his hand again. "There's going to be a string quartet! Sakura says she knows some people and it's going to be good. I always imagined that," he said, smiling at Sasuke.

The sun was catching in Naruto's hair, making it look like there was a halo around his head. His grin was almost infectious, sparkling in the evening glow. It looked as if he were happier than he had ever been before and that there was nothing in the world that could stop him. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat for a moment and he looked away, focusing on the sidewalk in front of him. "What do you think about it, Best Man?" Naruto asked, nudging Sasuke in the ribs.

Sasuke took a deep breath, closing his eyes to sort through the thoughts shooting around his head. "You don't have to," he said after a moment. He looked up at Naruto from under his bangs.

"I don't have to have a string quartet? But I've always wanted one…" Naruto raised a puzzled eyebrow.

"That's not what I meant." Sasuke stopped walking, focusing on Naruto's eyes. "You really don't have to do this."

Blue eyes flickered in the light. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, frowning.

Pausing to gather his thoughts, Sasuke reached out to touch Naruto's arm lightly. His fingers twitched. "I don't want you to do it," he finally said. His hand dropped to his side again.

Naruto stared at him unblinking. "I—you—you mean…" he trailed off.

Sasuke nodded slowly, shifting his gaze to the tree beyond Naruto's left shoulder.

"Sasuke…"

Sasuke's heart stopped at the emotion in Naruto's voice. Confusion, disbelief, anger, _regret_. Sasuke inhaled sharply and looked back into Naruto's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "I'm happy for you, really. I'll just… go now." He took off running in the direction that they had come.

Naruto watched after him, his heart racing and his mind spinning.

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I went to the fair today and discussed with my friends the different ways that quartet could be used in a fanfic. This was not one of those crazy options. This might be considered AU… I know I said I'd write some… so… you can take this as one of those… I guess…


	25. Manhandle sasunaru

25. Manhandle

"Now, Sasuke, tell us where those scrolls are. Are they really worth your life?" The man speaking was taller than Sasuke, his red hair a fiery contrast to the darkness of the cell around them. He pressed a kunai to Sasuke's throat and smiled. The two men holding Sasuke tightened their grips—not that it mattered, as they had given him a drink that had dulled his senses and cut off his strength.

Sasuke glared back at the man, leaning ever-so-slightly forward into the blade. "You won't kill me; I'm the only one who knows where those scrolls are. Too bad I'll never tell you that location," he said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

The man laughed, pulling the kunai away. "Just as expected from the last Uchiha. However, we anticipated your… disobedience and acquired a bit of _leverage_. Oh yes, my men and I have done our homework—we know what makes you tick," he paused and motioned to the guards at the door of Sasuke's cell, "Bring him in."

A few moments later the guards returned half dragging a stumbling man into the room. It took Sasuke's slow mind a few seconds to recognize the lean body and blond hair, but once he did, his body tensed and his eyes narrowed. _Naruto_. It looked as if they had drugged the blond more than they had Sasuke by the way he was moving and complying to the guards' bodily commands. There was a thick blindfold tied around his head, but Sasuke could still see the confusion on his face.

The guards pushed, pulled, and prodded Naruto farther into the room, finally shoving him to his knees a few feet away from Sasuke. Naruto swayed slightly, but did not move to fight back. Sasuke looked back at his captor. "Let him go," he said, voice seething.

Laughing again, the man shook his head. "No, I don't think so," he said, spinning his kunai around his fingers dangerously fast. "So obedient," he murmured, slowly walking toward Naruto, "I like him like this, don't you?"

Sasuke could feel his mind clearing, but his body remained painfully numb. He leaned forward, glaring with as much force as he could. "Let. Him. _Go_," he repeated menacingly.

Naruto turned his head to face in the direction of Sasuke's voice. "Sasuke?" he asked, voice slurred and hopeful.

"Shut up," the man barked and immediately Naruto faced forward again. "I dare say, Sasuke, that you could stand to learn a thing or two from him," the man said, the smile returning to his face. "But now is not the time for that." He stopped twirling the kunai and instead pressed it lightly against Naruto's bared throat. Naruto's entire body froze when the knife came in contact with his skin. "Now, I'm going to ask you again. Where are those scrolls?"

Panic rising, Sasuke struggled a little against the men holding him. "Please, he's got nothing to do with this!"

The man pressed the kunai harder against Naruto's throat, blood beading on his skin. "The scrolls, Sasuke. That's all I ask."

Sasuke could hear Naruto's panicky breathing and could almost smell the blood from his throat as the man pressed the knife harder. It was hard to think. Were those scrolls worth Naruto's life? Was Naruto's life worth some of the most classified files of Konoha? Could Sasuke even make this decision? His heart nearly stopped when he heard Naruto's pained whimper. "Let him go!" he yelled, eyebrows creased in concern, "I'll tell you, just stop hurting him."

A satisfied smile spread across the man's face, but he did not remove the knife from its place. "Very good. I'm glad that we've begun to understand one another. Now tell me…"

"I hid them a few miles southwest of Konoha. They're in a tree, but I doubt you could find them on your own," Sasuke said, eyes focused on the ground in front of him.

"No, that's why you'll be coming with us. I hope that's not too much of an inconvenience for you," the man said, twirling the kunai with his fingers again. He slowly walked to the door, nodding to the guards in the room. "I think I'll be keeping your friend for future use," he said. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but his view of his captor was obscured as the guards holding him shoved him roughly into the ground. "But you can have him for the time being," the man said brightly, closing the door after his guards had exited. "Enjoy yourselves."

When Sasuke was sure they were alone, he pulled his slow body toward Naruto. "Hey," he said softly, "are you alright?"

Naruto was standing rigidly on his knees, his arms tied behind his back. He swallowed and asked, "Are they gone?"

Sasuke reached a heavy arm up and pulled off Naruto's blindfold. "They're gone. I won't let them have you again." He tried to keep his voice even as he looked into Naruto's dull eyes. "How long did they have you?"

"…At least a week," Naruto said after a few moments of thought. Sasuke could see that Naruto's vision was clearing, but he could tell that the drug was still heavy on him. He reached around the blond and pulled off the rope holding his hands. The knots were weak and came undone with relative ease.

Naruto immediately collapsed forward, supporting himself on Sasuke's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke," he mumbled.

Sasuke leaned into his partner, pressing a light kiss to the wound on his neck. "You did nothing wrong. We'll figure something out."

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Happy birthday, HiMyNameIsRusty!! Sasunaru, as you requested. I had so much fun writing this one. Yay. I'll put a possible _to be continued_ on the end of this one.


	26. Roots shikachou

26. Roots

"Chouji, you can't water the plant like that!" Shikamaru called from across the yard. He strode closer, snatching the hose out of his partner's hands.

Chouji gave the plants a questioning look, clearly confused. "What was I doing wrong?"

Shikamaru could not help but smile slightly. He turned his attention back to the flowers in his garden. "You have to make sure the water gets down to the roots. Watering the leaves doesn't do them much good. See? Those flowers over there, the ones you just watered? They're still drooping. But these ones here are already starting to perk up."

"Where did you learn all these things about gardening? I mean, you know way more than just how to water them." Chouji followed Shikamaru around the garden, standing a little bit behind him to stay out of the water's spray.

Glancing up at the clouds for a moment, Shikamaru unconsciously let the water overflow in the pot he was tending. He moved the hose along after a second. "I like to flowers. They're… nice."

Chouji raised an eyebrow. "Nice?"

Shikamaru nodded, motioning toward one of the bushes in the distance. A few butterflies danced around its blossoms, sparkling in the summer sun. "And they attract butterflies."

Smiling again, Chouji moved to stand a little closer to Shikamaru as they continued around the garden.

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Summer time and flowers and watering flowers… my life right now. Lalalala LAST WEEK OF HIGH SCHOOL EVER WUT?!


	27. Kaleidoscope kakairu

27. Kaleidoscope

They ran as fast as they could, Iruka leading the way, but the halls did not seem to end. Every turn led them down another identical gray stone-lined hallway; Kakashi could not even keep track of the way in his head as he raced to keep up. The voices of the pursuers had long since faded into the distance behind them, but they maintained their quick pace.

"Iruka! Are you sure you know the way?" Kakashi called, casting a doubtful glance around them. The walls were solid and every few meters there would be a thick, wooden door. "I don't see any cells around here!"

Iruka glanced back, nodding his head ever so slightly in confirmation of Kakashi's inquiry. "They're keeping the kids up here. I'm sure of it. They led me down this way a few times." They continued on through the underground maze.

A few minutes later Iruka pulled to an abrupt stop and turned to face Kakashi. "What is it?" Kakashi asked, "Are they keeping them here?" He moved to the nearest door, examining the lock.

All at once, Iruka's fist collided with the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. A kaleidoscope of color erupted across his vision as his head connected first with the wall and then with the floor. Through his blurred eyes he could make out Iruka's malicious grin above him. The man was almost giggling with glee. Kakashi blinked a few times, but his vision would not clear.

Moving to stand, Kakashi found Iruka's foot firmly planted on his chest. "I don't think so, Kakashi. You're not going anywhere." Iruka's voice was thick and low and held a quality that Kakashi had never heard in it before. He knelt down next to Kakashi and leaned in toward his face. "Were you expecting me to kiss it and make it all better? Hah! The great Kakashi is captured because he trusted his enemy. This is rich!"

Kakashi glanced at Iruka, confused. "What?" he asked slowly, pain and numbness still shooting through his head and down his spine.

Iruka stood again and fumbled with some keys from his pocket. He soon found what he was looking for and wrestled the door beside them open. "This is where you're going to rot," he said, grabbing Kakashi by his vest and pulling him into the room. Once Iruka was back outside, he slammed the door shut and locked it once again. Kakashi could hear his echoing laugh as he left down the hallway.

A trap. Kakashi had fallen into a trap and he had not even noticed it. It had never occurred to him that Iruka would betray him and the fact that he had stung his heart. With a great sigh, Kakashi laid back on the ground, playing with all the different reasons for Iruka's betrayal.

There was movement in the darkness and Kakashi was immediately on edge. His vision was clearing, but there were still colors and shapes swirling across his sight. "Who's there?" he asked.

After a long moment, a quiet voice responded, "Kakashi?"

Kakashi's heart stopped. That was Iruka's voice, he was sure of it. But how could Iruka be here, in this god forsaken cell and outside, tricking his comrades? Kakashi activated his sharingan and peered into the darkness, searching for a face. His eyes found a prominent, horizontal scar and deep, brown eyes. "Iruka… what—?"

"Kakashi! I'm so sorry! They made that clone and I couldn't stop them!" Iruka nearly shouted, his voice breaking a little. "I couldn't stop them…"

Kakashi's heart warmed even with the small bit of knowledge that Iruka was still loyal. What did it matter that they were both locked in a cell or that Sasuke had probably been caught by a similar trick? They were together.

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…. I don't really like this… it's roughly based on an idea I came up with like… three or four years ago which was never put on paper. It's also kind of like that one narusasu one I wrote earlier this month. Sorry guys… this one's late because I've discovered (and rediscovered) my love for Teddy Tonks and Cedric Diggory…. Together?? What?


	28. Variety sasunaru

28. Variety

Sasuke stood outside the door to The Hokage's office. He had been thinking up different things to say to Naruto all day and by this time had quite a variety of insults and threats on the tip of his tongue. The previous evening Naruto had promised that he would meet up with Sasuke at their usual training spot for an early morning spar. He had not shown. Sasuke was nearly seething with anger at being ditched. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but was interrupted before his knuckles made contact.

"The Hokage isn't seeing anyone today," the masked guard by the door said sullenly.

"Oh isn't he?" Sasuke asked, anger prickling his voice. His hand dropped to the handle and he shoved the door open without knocking at all, the ANBU beside him gasping and whispering desperately for backup. All Sasuke's thoughts of anger were forgotten in an instant.

Immediately Sasuke was assaulted by a wave of heat and he almost slammed the door closed again. Instead he pushed his way into the room, closing the door behind him. The room thrummed with heat and glowed with fire of Kyuubi's chakra. It took Sasuke a few moments to locate Naruto, as he was not sitting in the chair behind his desk.

Naruto was curled up tightly in the corner of his office, hands clenched in his hair and tears streaming down his cheeks. He had not noticed Sasuke enter the room and did not show any signs of movement besides a strange shiver that ran through his body irregularly. Sasuke could barely comprehend what was happening. Why was Kyuubi acting up? Why was Kyuubi hurting Naruto?

Stumbling across the office, Sasuke collapsed on his knees next to Naruto. The heat was making it hard to breathe, but he refused to leave before he figured out what was going on. Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and hissed as it burned slightly; he left it where it was. "Naruto." His voice was uncertain.

Blue eyes shot open and Sasuke was relieved to see that there was no red glowing in them at all. Naruto's eyes darted around the room before settling on Sasuke. They stared at each other for a few moments and Sasuke tried to keep himself calm, to lend some strength to Naruto. He was willing to do almost anything to help Naruto.

Naruto's hands slowly slipped out of his hair and Sasuke snatched them up, kneading them comfortingly with his own fingers. He did not say anything, but continued to hold eye contact with Naruto. The heat in the room was slowly dissipating, the tension in Naruto's body lessening with it. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief and let a smile slip onto his face. Naruto began to doze off after a while, slumping into Sasuke.

Sasuke turned around when he heard a quiet noise behind him and was not all that surprised to see three ANBU standing around the room. He glared at them. "You are the most useless, good for nothing, group of retards I have ever laid eyes on! Don't let him sit here by himself all day next time!" he said, glad that his day of planning had not been a complete waste of time.

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Sorry that yesterday's sucked so bad. I hope today's was more enjoyable. I can't believe how many sasunaru stories I've written compared to the narusasu stories…. I thought I didn't like sasunaru. Argh.


	29. Nurutre zabuhaku

29. Nurture

Zabuza watched as Haku ran ahead of him on the path. He frowned when Haku wandered off the path, but inside his heart warmed at the sign of curiosity in the boy. It had only been a few years and already Haku had grown and changed into a bright looking teenager. Time had been fast, too fast, and Zabuza did not know where it had gone.

At first, Zabuza had no intention of becoming attached to the boy; he was going to train him and use him, help him fend for himself. He had not intended to find that he loved it when Haku smiled, or that his heart would sink every time the boy frowned. But here they were. Zabuza could hardly stand it when Haku was outside of his line of vision and he almost lived to see that bright smile. His only problem was that he was still using Haku.

Haku never complained about it. Haku never complained about anything. Zabuza had noticed this very early on, and it was still a little disconcerting to see someone so docile, maddening, really. He found himself testing Haku, pushing him to his limits, but found that this had the opposite effect. Instead of getting angry or upset, Haku would become more and more determined.

"Look, Zabuza-san," Haku said, pulling Zabuza out of his thoughts. The boy was kneeling in a patch of little white flowers, smiling brightly. "They smell really good!"

Zabuza nodded, but said nothing in response.

Haku gathered a few of the flowers in his hand and stood. He smiled at Zabuza and handed him the flowers. "Here, I want you to have them."

Reaching out carefully, Zabuza took the flowers. He frowned at them. "What am I supposed to do with these?" he asked. Haku erupted into laughter. "What?"

Haku stopped laughing and looked Zabuza in the eye. "You can do whatever you want with them," he said, "they're yours."

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I love the relationship between these two characters to bits and pieces for reasons beyond my comprehension. This might not be slash.. but… I love them.

My life: job, sunburn, hair, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.


	30. Uncovered kibashino

30. Uncovered

Shino glared at Kiba across the table. He sat stiffly, obviously uncomfortable, and kept very quiet. On the other side of the table, Kiba was desperately trying to avoid looking into Shino's angry eyes.

"Come on, it's not that bad!" he pleaded in an attempt to brush off the matter at hand. When he received no response he sighed dramatically and leaned forward on his elbows. "Look, all we have to do is get some lotion and you'll be all better."

"It hurts," Shino said, his voice monotone.

Kiba frowned. "You weren't complaining about it yesterday! You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit from what I saw." He was grinning now, his annoyance dropping away.

Shino continued to glare. "This is going to hurt for the next few days, and it's all your fault."

Scrunching up his face for a moment, Kiba chewed the inside of his lip in concentration. He looked back at Shino and offered a smile. "If I get you lotion, will you do it again?" he asked.

It was Shino's turn to think, but before he could voice his answer, Naruto barged into the room and sat down next to Kiba. Startled, both Shino and Kiba raised their eyebrows. "What's up, guys?" Naruto asked, grinning.

Kiba and Sino both nodded in acknowledgement of the greeting, but neither actually responded. Naruto gave Shino a long look, hissing slightly in empathy. "That's a pretty bad sunburn you've got yourself there. You were outside yesterday? Without your jacket?"

Shino once again turned to glare at Kiba. "Yes," he said, "Kiba forced me to do it."

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Note: SORRY MADHAV.

This made me lol… Shino would so get sunburn. Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I'm falling asleep. God, I'm tired… and I really hope that I can post tomorrow's on time…


	31. Squeal narusasu

31. Squeal

Sasuke brushed the hair out of his eyes to hide the twitch in his brow. A girl on the far side of the room let out a squeal of excitement. The girl sitting in the front row was overcome with a fit of giggles not a moment later. A wad of paper was launched from the seat of the boy in the back corner of the room, landing squarely on a smaller boy's head. More than ten years since he had been in the academy and nothing had changed at all.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Sasuke went back over his morning and all the "advice" that Naruto had tried to give him. Naruto had woken him up slowly with kisses on his face. It had been nice, relaxing, and a good memory to hold. First, Naruto had told him that he should not be afraid to throw things at his class. This seemed to be reasonable, as Sasuke could remember countless times that Iruka had nearly killed a student.

His second piece of advice had been… less than helpful. Naruto had said, grinning, that all one needed to do to be successful was wear a confident smile. Sasuke had tried to glower and ignore this, but Naruto's face was nearly glowing and he had found that he could focus on nothing else. Even now, it was strangely difficult to get that image out of his head.

Sighing, Sasuke began his first day of teaching with a forced smile on his face. "Ok, class, I know today is your first day at the Academy, but please… try to contain yourselves." This statement, just as it had on his first day of Academy, had little-to-no impact on the children at all.

Sasuke glared at the class, waited a few more moments for them to calm down, before throwing a kunai with unique precision at a target in the back of the classroom. Everyone was immediately silent. A smile slowly spread across Sasuke's face. This would not be so bad. The boy in the back corner of the class pinched the girl sitting next to him and she gave a cry so loud Sasuke thought he would go deaf. He rubbed his temples, trying to put of the oncoming headache. It was going to be a long day.

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IT'S OVER AND DONE WITH. A big thanks to Moodooman for the words (as always) and an even bigger thanks to all of you who read and reviewed my stories!! It was really fun!!

Hopefully I'll be doing this again in the future, but I plan on writing longer stories over the summer (I know I always say that… but I really mean it this time…) Thanks again!


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